3 Strategies to Help You Do More than Just "Survive" the Holidays This Year
By Amy Phillips-Gary

Tis the season for celebrations, shopping, baking, caroling, decorating....and stress.

Quite often the "magic" of the holidays seems to take a whole lot of work. No matter what you celebrate during the month of December, it's quite likely that your social calendar is busier than usual and your to do list is longer than it normally is.

There can be a lot of pressure and expectations associated with the holidays-- and much of it is self-imposed.

Many of us have traditions that we feel obliged to carry out from year to year. Some of these traditional activities are enjoyable and some are perhaps not as fun.

The fact of the matter is, many people make it their goal to just get through or survive the holidays.

I believe that each and every one of us can do much more than just survive the holidays. In fact, with awareness, openness and a bit of courage, we can actually tap into that joy and magic that is so often sung about in holiday songs.

Consider these 3 strategies for preventing and turning around holiday stress....

1.) Be aware of your thoughts.
We all tell ourselves stories-- and I'm not talking about The Night Before Christmas here.

We tend to tell ourselves stories about how we think we should act during the holidays. We tell ourselves what we think we should do, who to and how much we should be giving to others, etc.

When you look at your holiday stories (i.e. your thoughts), you'll get a big clue about why you probably feel under pressure and stressed out.

Take time every day to check in with yourself. When you come upon thoughts or beliefs that contribute to you feeling overwhelmed, pay attention.

Ask yourself if you want to keep thinking these thoughts or holding onto these beliefs. Your answer can be a yes or a no; it's up to you.

You might decide, for example, that you'd like to release the thought: "I have to buy presents for all of my co-workers and friends, in addition to my entire family." This belief and thought may feel stressful to you because of the amount of shopping and/or the money involved.

You can replace a thought like this with one that feels less overwhelming. Perhaps the thought:  "I don't have to buy gifts for all of my co-workers, friends and family this year. I can choose to honor the people I want to honor in different ways."

Yes, it might feel uncomfortable to open up to a different thought, but try it out anyway.

2.) Choose your holiday experience.
Perhaps the most empowering thing you could do for yourself this holiday season is to remember that you get to choose the experience you have.

That's right, you get to decide if you are going to continue every holiday tradition you always follow or if you want to do things differently this year.

You can decide if you want to merely survive the holidays or, instead, if you plan to easily and fully enjoy them.

Let's take the example from above. As you create space within your thinking about how many gifts and for whom you will buy this year, get creative.

Many families, including mine, draw names for gift exchanges rather than having everyone buy a gift for everyone else. This can make for a more meaningful and affordable holiday.

Communicate clearly and honestly with those you usually exchange gifts with to relieve pressure and make new traditions that can be just as special and memorable. The other people in your life might heartily welcome such a change.

Stay open to possibilities as you continue to choose the kind of experience you want. You don't have to attend every single holiday party that you are invited to. And you don't have to decorate your home the way that you've always done.

You get to choose.

3.) Remember why you celebrate, and then celebrate.
There's a Christian slogan that often floats around this time of year: "Jesus is the Reason for the Season."

You might celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa or another holiday. This holiday may have spiritual or religious significance for you or it might be cultural and secular.

Tap into the reason why you commemorate what you do and allow those sentiments to guide you.

The symbolism of light is included in many of the December holidays. What do the symbolism, rituals and stories associated with the holiday you celebrate mean to you?

As you continue to return to what's meaningful and true for you about the holidays, you can begin to make more conscious choices about the activities you will participate in this year.

From these conscious choices and re-affirmation of meaning, a sense of peace and joy can make its way into your holiday experience.
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Amy Phillips-Gary is a freelance writer, homeschool mom and a personal growth adventurer.